Aerator with improved air supply



Sept. 1961 E. P. AGHNIDES 2,998,926

AERATOR WITH IMPROVED AIR SUPPLY Filed Aug. 3, 1959 j V I R FIG. I.

I INVENTOR Elie P. Aghnides BY Wop w ATTORNEYS Filed Aug. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 831,185 8 Claims. (Cl. 239-430) This invention relates to aerators and mainly to the type of aerator used on household water faucets.

I have pointed out the undesirability of having air enter through the side wall of the aerator in my earlier applications, Serial No. 135,645, filed December 29, 1949, Fluid Mixing Device (a portion of the disclosure of which appears in U.S. Patent No. 2,811,340 of October 29, 1957); Serial No. 337,501, filed February 18, 1953, Faucet Attachment (now abandoned); Serial No. 351,907, filed April 29, 1953, Fluid Mixing Device; and Serial No. 560,299, filed January 20, 1956, Fluid Mixing Devices. These applications teach that the air inlet may be at the extreme bottom of the aerator. Alternatively the air may enter at the top of the aerator as shown in FIGURE 1 of my prior copending application filed August 2, 1956, Serial No. 601,711, entitled Variable Outlet Fluid Mixing Devices, now abandoned. It is the main object of the present invention to provide air inlet means that is an improvement upon these prior arrangements.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide an air inlet means for a water aerator which provide ample air for complete aeration without decreasing the effective mixing area of the aerator.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved communication between the air passageways of an aerator and the outside atmospheric air.

In aerators for water faucets several basic requirements preferably should be met, for example, the aerator should be provided with standard threading, be of substantially the same outer diameter as present commercial aerators, provide an output stream as large in diameter as the present commercial aerators, and have as much aeration and water output as present commercial aerators. These desirable features are not only met but are surpassed in one or more respects by the present invention without any slots in the sidewall of the aerator.

In order to achieve the desirable results above named, I provide in one form of the invention, an aerator body having a vertical sidewall of substantially uniform thickness, though periodically departing from circular configuration whereby the aerator has an ornamental effect. The upper end of the housing is threaded but since'the housing departs from a circle there are gaps in the threading which provide air entranceways at the top of the aerator. Each place that the aerator departs from a circular shape provides a vertical air passageway extending the length of the housing whereby air may enter from both the top and the bottom, thus efiectively doubling the size of the air entranceway over and above what has been achieved in the case of the other aerators that do not have slots along the sidewall. Other forms of the invention will be specifically described hereinbelow.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a cross sectional view of the preferred form of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the housing shown in FIG- URE 1 with a portion of the upstream diaphragm also illustrated.

FIGURE 3 is a top view of a modified form of h'ousing; a portion of the upstream diaphragm being shown.

FIGURE 4 is a partial cross sectional view of an aerator embodying the housing of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a top view of another form of the invention.

FIGURE 6 is a cross sectional view of a further form of the invention.

United States PatentO Patented Sept. 5, 1961 FIGURE 7 is a cross sectional view of another form of the invention.

FIGURE 8 is a bottom view of the aerator shown in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is atop view of the aerator shown in FIG- URE 7.

In FIGURE 1 the faucet 10 has a lower projecting tubular threaded portion 10a adapted to receive an aerator. The aerator includes a tubular body 11 of polygonal shape, the wall of the housing being of substantially uniform thickness. The upper inner surface of the housing 11 is threaded to mesh with threads complementarv to those on the projection 19a. Since,'however, the inner surface of housing 11 is not a true circle, the threads will appear as shown in the dotted line of FIGURE 2, that is at the places 15 where the polygonal housing is fluted outward there will be no threads. Moreover there will be a gap between the outer sidewall of projection 19a and the inner sidewall of housing 11 at projections 15, when the housing 11 is screwed onto the faucet. As a result there are a series of vertical air passageways 15 along the inner wall of housing 11. At the downstream end of the housing 11 there are a plurality of inwardly extending projections or lips 16 on which the frames 14, which contain the screens 13, rest. A polyethylene disc 12. having four legs resting on the upper frame 14 is also provided. This disc is perforated to increase the velocity of flow while decreasing its cross section. It thus projects a large number of high velocity streamlets onto the screens 13, and/or additional upstream discs 12 may be added, if desired, to improve the quality of the aerated stream. The air enters the mixing space between disc 12 and screen 13 through the spaces between legs of disc 12. The space between legs 12 in turn communicate with the vertical air passageways 15.

It is noted that the vertical air passageways 15 receive air from both the upstream end of the aerator and from the extreme downstream end (between projections 16) of the aerator. Since air is received from both ends of the aerator, the passageway may be much smaller than it was previously required thus reducing the overall size of the device.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the polygon shape of the housing 11 performs two functions. First it pro.-

vides air passageways at its fluted points. Secondly itis ornamental in appearance.

This disc 12 is preferably made of suitable soft plastic material that will act as a washer. In this case it becomes jet forming and washer means. Since disc 12 acts asa washer it excludes water under pressure from the faucet from flowing laterally into the air entranceway 15, and at the same time it directs the jets of water through its holes vertically downward. Hence, in effect, disc 12 maintains the air path and the water path spaced from each other, except of course it allows the air from passageway 15 to pass between the legs of disc 12 to the mixing space. If polyethylene is selected as the material for the disc, the disc 12 will act not only as the jet forming and washer means but will also tend to prevent accumulation of calcium deposits and many forms of dirt that frequently clog the upstream discs of conventional aerators.

In FIGURE 2 of my U.S. Patent No. 2,210,846, August 6, 1940, entitled Fluid Mixing Device, I show an aerator in which there is a vertical slot along the threads of the upstream end of the aerator to thereby provide an air passageway. The provision of these vertical slots causes mutilation of the threads and creates difiiculty in placing the aerator on the faucet. In contrast the polygonal housing 11 does not result in threads that are dificult to mesh" with those on the faucet.

A second form of invention is shown in FIGURES 3 3 and 4 where the faucet has female threads and the aerator has male threads around the outside of the housing 20. Since the housing is not round, but has indented portions on its periphery, there are gaps 19 in the threads through which air may pass.

An upstream jet forming diaphragm 12 is provided but it has smaller diameter than the maximum internal width of member 20 and this leaves a small air space at the place designated by reference number 17 through which air may pass outside of the periphery of the upstream diaphragm 12 but inside the wall of the aerator body 29. As a result air may enter along the path shown by arrow 21. The diaphragm 12 may have an outer rim of polyethylene which will act as a washer.

The device of FIGURES 3 and 4 is the same in all respects, other than those shown, as any conventional aerator and may, for example, contain internal parts identical with those shown in FIGURE 1.

Another advantage of the construction of FIGURES l to 4 is that the aerator body may be stamped (an inexpensive manufacturing process) in contrast to prior aerator bodies which have been machined.

The form of invention shown in FIGURE has the external corrugations the same as in FIGURE 3, but the inside wall of the aerator body is circular. The upstream diaphragm has several projections 5B which center the diaphragm in the casing and provide air spaces 5A outside the periphery of the diaphragm yet within the inside wall of the aerator body. Shoulder 5C is a continuous ring at the downstream end of the aerator (in the same position as the inturned lips 16 of FIGURE 1; however, it extends continuously around the inside lower part of the aerator). Air may enter in much the same way as in FIGURES 3 and 4, namely it proceeds upward in the indent 19 between the vertical ribs or corrugations, then over the top of the aerator body, and finally through the air passageway 5A. The internal parts of the aerator of FIGURE 5 may be the same as in the case of FIGURE 1, except as mentioned above in connection with projection 5C and 16.

In the form of invention shown in FIGURE 5, the tubular housing 23 has inwardly projecting lips 23a which support frames that in turn hold the screens 42. The disc 41 has perforations for producing a large number of high velocity streamlets that bombard the screen 42. The disc 41 is supported by four vertical legs which rest on the frames of the screens. Between the legs of the disc 41 is air space 24 which communicates with the air passageway 22 which is formed by a plurality of cutaway or thinned sections 22 of the housing 23.

If it is desired to make a female aerator as shown in FIGURE 5 the upper part of the housing marked A has inside threads as shown. To make a male aerator the part marked A is cut off and external threads are placed on the part marked B.

It is possible to combine the features of FIGURES 5 and 6 into a further improved aerator. This can be done by having the upper part of the aerator built as shown in FIGURE 5 and the lower part built as shown in FIGURE 6. In other words, in addition to inverted cup 41 there would be the additional upstream disc of FIGURE 5 and everything else shown in FIGURE 5 except projection 50. The lower part of the combined aerator would include member 41 and all parts below it built the same as in FIGURE 6.

FIGURES 7 to 9 show a rubber aerator adapted to fit on the metal faucet 26. The main rubber aerator body 27 supports the usual discs and screens and has air inlet holes 28 that communicate with the vertical air passageway 25-29 (see FIGURE 9). A band of rubber material 30 extends around the aerator, enclosing the various air passageways 25-29 and defining them.

The internal parts of the aerators shown in this application, have the dimensions and proportions taught in my prior patents relating to faucet aerators whereby the device discharges a highly aerated coherent jet of water containing numerous small bubbles.

Reference is made to my prior copending application, Serial No. 624,846, filed November 28, 1956, now US. Patent No. 2,962,224, granted November 29, 1960, for Aerating Devices for Producing Streams of Large Cross- Section.

I claim to have invented:

1. In an aerator, body having a hollow housing adapted to be attached at its upstream end to a faucet, said housing having an air passageway immediately inside its inner wall and extending the length of the housing with an air extranceway from the outside atmospheric air at each end of the passageways, jet forming means adjacent the upstream end of the housing for increasing the velocity while decreasing the cross-section of flow, and mixing means spaced downstream the jet forming means for finely breaking up the water and mixing it with air and for discharging from the housing a coherent jet of aerated water containing numerous small bubbles, the space between the jet forming means and the mixing means communicating with said air passageway.

2. In an aerator, a hollow housing adapted to be attached at its upstream end to a faucet, said housing including means forming an air passageway along one wall of the housing and parallel to the axis of the housing, said air passageway at each end thereof being open to atmospheric outside the faucet, jet forming and mixing means located at least partly in the housing for producing a coherent jet of aerated water at the output of the housing, said jet forming and mixing means communicating with said air passageway to thereby receive the air necessary for aeration.

3. In an aerator, a hollow housing the inner wall of which is of polygon shape, said wall being threaded at its upstream end with gaps in the threads at apexes of the polygon whereby when the housing is attached to a faucet the aforesaid gaps will provide air inlets between housing and the faucet, aerating means in the housing for converting the water under pressure in the faucet into a coherent aerated jet of water containing numerous small bubbles, said means having a mixing space communicating with said air inlets. 4. In an aerator as defined by claim 3, the wall of said housing having substantially uniform thickness whereby the outside surface thereof will have the ornamental effects of a polygon.

5. In an aerator adapted to be attached to a faucet, a hollow housing having outside threads, said housing having indents transverse to the direction of the threads in the threaded portion of the housing whereby when the housing is attached to a faucet there will be air passageways starting at the outlet end of the faucet which extend upward and over the upper edge of the housing and then downward into the housing, aerating means in the housing in communication with said air inlets for finely breaking up the water from the faucet and mixing it with air to form a coherent jet of aerated water containing numerous small bubbles.

6. In an aerator, a hollow housing of polygon crosssection adapted to engage and be held by a faucet. with gaps between the housing and faucet providing air entranceways, means in the housing for finely breaking up the water from the faucet and mixing it with air and discharging the aerated water from the housing, the lastnamed means being incommunication with at least one of said air entranceways.

7. In an aerator adapted to be attached to a threaded faucet, a housing having threads at its upstream end for attachment to the threads of a faucet, a diaphragm in the housing restrained against downward movement and positioned to engage and be pressed against the faucet when the housing is screwed onto the faucet, said diaphragm having smaller cross-section than the housing and having projections extending from its outer edge to center the same in the housing and to also provide an air space between the outer edge of the diaphragm and the inner wall of the housing, mixing means for finely breaking up the water from the diaphragm and mixing it with air to produce a coherent stream laden with numerous small bubbles, the mixing means being spaced downstream the diaphragm to thereby form a mixing space, the threads which connect the housing and the faucet having at least one groove crossing the threads to thereby allow air to enter and then pass through said space between the diaphragm and the housing into the mixing space.

8. An aerator as defined in claim 7, said housing having its threads on the outside thereof with the grooves extending through the threads so that the air travels between the inner wall of the faucet and the outer wall of the housing over the upper end of the wall of the housing and thence between the diaphragm and the housing to the mixing space.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

